Indie fragrance brands are like little hidden gems, surprising and delighting those who find them. It is so refreshing to discover new, often smaller and/or independently owned companies whose creativity and note combinations are unmatched. Here are five recent favorite houses and their standout scents.
Maison Millais creates scents inspired by the glamour of New York City, that elusive culture behind the city that never sleeps. Eloise au Plaza is a sparkling ode to its namesake – the precocious little girl famous for her adventures in one of the grandest hotels in the world. Inspiration for this scent includes ballet classes in the east, polly pockets under the Christmas tree, running around the MoMa in plaid skirts, scholastic book catalogues, and click-clacks of mary jane shoes. A youthful, zingy blend of juniper berry, rose, bitter orange, and balsam fir, Eloise is a scent fit for all who want to capture her vibrance.
Speaking of ballet classes, Odette Parfum Co is a delightful little gem of a company founded by Odette Fontaine, French former ballerina. Her creations are a coquette girl’s dream, drawing inspiration from her upbringing, the romance of ballet, and the artistry of pâtisserie. Rose Adage is a scent I would imagine Kirsten Dunst to wear as Marie Antoinette in Sofia Coppola’s 2006 film. Candied, velvety, and plush, it merges Turkish rose water with violet, crème anglaise, musk, and velvet amber. Imagine a white cake, piped to perfection in baby pink, complete with tiny silken ribbons. That’s how this smells to me.
ROAN (Roots of a Nomad) was founded by the well-traveled tea enthusiast Helen Lee. Each scent is an unexpected yet beautiful combination of tea notes to tease the palate. Current Culture uses the matcha note, pairing it with an oceanic array of bergamot zest, white ginger, red seaweed, and salty moss. Cotton peony adds a fluffy sweetness. This is such a gorgeous, creamy take on a fresh fragrance – never sharp or overly citric, it’s as smooth as a light sea breeze. The perfumer for this one was inspired by the Santa Monica Mountains while sitting on his porch overlooking the landscape.
Kai Fragrance began with Gaye Straza’s desire to create something she sought but couldn’t find. An avid vacationer to the tropics of Hawaii as a child, she wanted to bottle up that intoxicating scent of exotic white flowers, pure and as realistic as possible. Thus, the Kai (the word for “sea” in Hawaiian) fragrance was born. Available as an eau de parfum and perfume oil, it’s a crisp, fresh, bouquet of gardenia flowers and white exotics. There is also a version with rose added to the notes, and an array of high-quality body and home products including body butter (a favorite among surfers), bathing bubbles, reed diffusers, and more.
Teri Johnson is a Texas native who settled in Harlem after falling in love with its rich, vibrant past and present. Figures from the Harlem Renaissance – including Billie Holiday – inspired her with their stories of resilience and otherworldly talent. Johnson’s love of fragrance and jazz led to the creation of Harlem Perfume Co, a collection of scents imbued with meaning. Billie is the scent of the aforementioned blues singer, an ode to her beautiful days that turned into beautiful nights and the gardenia she always wore in her hair. The fragrance itself combines the delicate white petals with a hit of vanilla and coconut milk, along with notes of lush green leaves, frangipani, and creamy musk. Sweet, intoxicating, and undeniably pretty, it’s a modern take on a vintage profile.
